MISSION VIEJO, CALIF. (Sept 25, 2005) -- The first time we play a tournament
golf course, the amateurgolf.com staff likes 'pick a number' for the winner.
In most cases, we come eerily close. At the Inaugural Mission Viejo Championship
played this weekend, however, we weren't even in the ballpark. amateurgolf.com
Founder Pete Wlodkowski called the potential winning score at 141, and Tournament
Director Art Law thought 142.

Jason Pridmore of Ventura had his own ideas.

Pridmore, 35, a professional motorcycle racer who rides for Michael Jordan Motorsports,
opened on Saturday with a 68. Pridmore was paired with first round leader Daniel
Wax, and got a chance to witness Wax's shot-making first hand including a birdie-birdie-birdie
start and final tally of 5-under-par 67.

"He's got tons of talent," said Pridmore. "I was really impressed
with his swing and the shots he pulls off time after time."

But there wasn't anything in Pridmore's Saturday conversation about who would
come out on top - this is a guy who has all the shots and the strong mental
game required to win.

Sunday's final pairing of Wax, Pridmore, Eugene Choi (who double-eagled the
18th hole on Saturday) and Justin Gray saw a battle develop between Pridmore
on Wax, with Wax striking first with birdie at No. 1 to extend his overnight
lead to 2. Pridmore answered that with a birdie on the tough par-4 2nd, and
when Wax 3-putted they were all square. Pridmore birdied Nos. 3 and 5, and his
lead was 2, then extended it to 3 when Wax bogeyed No. 6, the short par-4 that
tempts you to hit driver, at 295 yards, but where environmental areas around
the green cause most people to think better of it and lay up.

Wax gained a stroke back with a birdie at the ninth, but, as he prognosticated during the round, "This
course really suits Jason's eye."

Starting with No. 11, Pridmore must have really liked what he saw, because
he made four straight birdies - and this run occurred on a stretch of holes
that could just be Arroyo Trabuco's version of Amen Corner. The 11th is a 180
yard par-3, and the 12th is the longest par-4 on the course, at 495 yards. Granted,
it's downhill, but a massive environmentally-sensitive area guards the right
side of the hole from tee to green like the border patrol.

Standing on the water-guarded par-3 13th
with a four shot lead in hand, Pridmore had the perfect chance to be defensive,
if he was a defensive kind of guy.

He laced a 5-iron to six feet. Drained the left-to-righter for birdie. "This
guy's lighting it up," whispered Wax as Pridmore was about to stroke the
putt. (Wax would finish with a 74 for 141, tied with Justin Gray, who fired
a solid 72 on Sunday after a 69 at Saturday)

Pridmore grabbed his fourth straight birdie at No. 14, then birdied No. 16 for
good measure. This wasn't just a tournament victory like he got at The Camarillo
City Championship last weekend in sudden-death. This was the round of a lifetime
(Pridmore said it was his best tournament round ever) and certainly the best
individual tournament round in the 5-year history of amateurgolf.com's Tournament
Series.

The fact that he didn't equal the course-record of 64 didn't seem to bother
him. The fact that he made a bogey did.

"It would have been great to play a round without a bogey, but I'm not
complaining," he said.

"He's tough, mentally, no doubt about it," said close friend Lincoln
James, who was by Pridmore's side after a ruptured spleen left him in critical
condition at a race in Birmingham in April. Pridmore says that James may have
saved his life by insisting that he be moved to the hospital after 45 minutes
at the track. This doesn't stop the two pals from constantly giving each other a hard time.

"Of course, he had to go an bogey the 17th hole while I was watching him,
and screw up tying the course record," joked James.

SENIOR DIVISION
In the Senior Division, Peter Daley overcame an 8-stroke deficit to win the
title by 2 over Conrad Lawrence, the first round leader who fired the wonderful
69 in round 1. Daley has some experience with winning tournaments - he won the
competitive Club Championship at Mesa Verde CC 4 years in a row.

"And, might I add," said Daley proudly. "I'm 65."

Lawrence, who will soon try his luck on the Senior Tour, struggled to a 46 on
the front nine on Sunday, but managed to retain his lead (and smile) through
12 holes as he birdied No. 11 and 16 to get to 2-under-par on the back nine.
A double-triple finish on 17 and 18 dashed his hopes, as the steady Daley finished
par-par to capture the title. We could all take a page from the playbook of
the jovial final group who all seemed to realize that win or lose, it was just
another great day of golf.